> England did not have large cotton plantations, and would have had to
> import their cloth. What English goods are referred to here?

English woolen goods. The British Isles do have a lot of sheep and wool
broadcloth was a big export. So much so that in the 18th c. the vast
majority of all wool fabric used in North America was made in English
mills. Domestic colonial production of cloth was usually limited to
cotton, linen, cotton/linen (fustian) and cotton/wool mixes such as
country cloth. While under British rule, the colonies would have had their
wool cloth production closely scrutinized by the English Board of Trade to
make sure the English market wasn't hurt.
Regards,

Tom A.

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